Along the Street: HomeGoods coming

The McMinnville HomeGoods store is expected to open this calendar year, according to Samantha Abbatessa, marketing supervisor at the company.

HomeGoods took out its first building permit in late January. It is remodeling the former JCPenney Building on North Highway 99W into two retail outlets, HomeGoods and Ulta Beauty.

The beauty products shop and salon will be located in what was the men’s fashion area of JCPenney, a one-story section of the building at the southwest end of the McMinnville Plaza shopping center.

Marked by a distinctive front entrance facing Highway 99W, HomeGoods will fill the larger section of the building.

HomeGoods recently launched an online shopping platform that offers a selection of items similar to that displayed in stores.

JCPenney closed its McMinnville store in the fall of 2020. The company had operated a retail store in McMinnville for a century; its first location opened in 1920. Originally downtown at Third and Evans streets, it moved to the shopping center in 1995.

Preparations for the new HomeGoods store have sparked much speculation on local social media pages. Many people have noticed the buildings being gutted and wondered what they will become — guessing incorrectly about Trader Joe’s and other retailers.

HomeGoods is an off-price retailer that says it offers major brands and home fashions for 20 to 60% less than traditional stores. For the most part, it doesn’t use promotions, sales or coupons.

“For us, value is a combination of brand, fashion, price and quality,” according to the company website, adding that new items arrive several times a week.

Car repairs

J & W CARSTAR Collision Repair Center, 1100 N.E. Lafayette Avenue, is nearing completion of an ownership transition.

General manager Brian Turner began buying J & W Carstar four years ago from longtime owner Roger Fowler. The process should be complete later this year, according to Fowler.

The business started in the 1970s as J and W Auto, named for Janice and Woody Woods. Fowler purchased it in 1989, joining the national company Carstar two years later.

Turner, his staff and Fowler hosted the McMinnville Area Chamber of Commerce Greeters event last week. They provided an update on the growing auto repair business.

“There have been lots of challenges with fixing cars these days, given technology and the complex nature of modern cars,” Turner said.

“We’re committed to staying up with expertise and training,” he said. “You look around and see a lot of empty car lots, with cars being sold rapidly and we’ve had the opportunity to fix a lot of those cars.”

J&W offers repairs to damage caused by collisions, hail and other events. It also offers painting and paintless dent repair.

A newly added feature at J and W is a paint booth big enough for vans and other large vehicles, which expands on the company’s ability to service fleets

Challenges with the supply chain are an industry reality, Turner noted, citing one car that has been waiting for a specific axle on order for six months.

“We do our best to communicate and source parts,” Turner said. “That’s the biggest part of what we do now is contacting for auto parts. Patience is the key thing.”

Before the pandemic, J and W typically was working on 50 to 60 cars at any one time. Now they have 85-90 on the lot, but “not necessarily that much more staff,” Turner said.

“I give all the credit to my employees. We have the right group of people together to make this happen.”

J and W employs 15 people. The staff gets training and support from the national organization.

Turner added, “I want to thank the whole community, especially the business community, the number one reason we have this much business is the referral business. We see it every day.”

Visitor economy

Jeff Knapp, president/CEO of Visit McMinnville, will discuss “McMinnville’s Visitor Economy” during a Zoom conference at 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 14.

The talk is part of the McMinnville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Business Support series.

Knapp will talk about the current state of the visitor economy, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, and what the future may hold.

To register for the free event, contact the Chamber, at mcminnville.org.

New quarters

Performance Real Estate Professionals has moved to a new office, which it shares with McMinnville Insurance.

Performance’s principal broker and owner Robin Martsolf and insurance company owner Linda Sauceda took over the former Jerry’s Optical Shoppe building at 1302 N.E. Highway 99W in late May.

Performance, which deals in all types of real estate, previously was located on Baker Street near Seventh. McMinnville Insurance was on 19th Street in the Bella Casa building.

In addition to Martsolf, Performance has two other brokers, Christopher Heinrich and Jordan Aileens. Kathryn Christie is the office coordinator.

For more information about Performance Real Estate or about buying or selling properties, call 503-435-8164.

HVAC training

Wolfers Home Services is accepting applications for its technical academy, which will train people to work with HVAC systems.

The Portland-based company has 13 slots for training. Trainees will be paid and will be eligible for entry-level technician jobs with the company after completing the program.

Curriculum includes HVAC fundamentals; basic, intermediate and advanced skills; customer interaction; understanding electricity; using industry tools; and troubleshooting of heating and air conditioning equipment.

Wolfers developed the academy in 2021 because of the shortage of labor in the HVAC industry. For more information, go to wolfersheating.com.

Moving to Mac

Pike Road Wines is moving its tasting room to McMinnville.

The winery closed its Carlton location, a former bank building downtown, in anticipation of the move. It will reopen soon at Third and Galloway in McMinnville, a corner shop that over the years has been home to a cheese shop, a computer dealer and a real estate agency.

Eventually, Pike Road Wines plans to build a rural tasting room at its vineyard on Pike Road near Carlton. Pike Road, which produces Pinots, roses and other types, is the “sister winery” to Elk Cove Vineyards.

During the closure, orders can be placed by phone at 503-852-3185, or by email at dane@pineroadwines.com.

Chamber Greeters

Hillside Retirement Community, 300 N.W. Hillside Parkway, will host the McMinnville Area Chamber of Commerce Greeters program on Friday, June 24. The event will run from 8 to 9 a.m.

Ewing Young Distillery, 18715 N.E. Hwy 240, Newberg, will host the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce from 8 to 9 a.m. Friday, June 17.

For more information, go to the McMinnville Chamber website, mcminnville.org, or the Newberg one, at www.chehalemvalley.org.

Cocktail Week

The inaugural Craft Cocktail Week comes to McMinnville and Dundee from June 17 to June 26.

Try three cocktails and give your comments via QR code over the nine-day period at any of five participating bars or restaurants: 1882 Grille and Red Hills Kitchen in McMinnville, and Field and Stream, Tina’s, and Red Hills Market in Dundee. Enter and be eligible for prizes, including whiskey and cocktail tastings. For details visit branchpointdistillery.com/craft-cocktail-week

Bartenders have crafted unique whiskey cocktail recipes using whiskey from Branch Point Distillery outside Dayton.

The establishments will donate $1 per cocktail along with $250 from Branch Point Distillery to the Oregon Hospitality Foundation.

Sunny flowers

Contemporary impressionist Erin Hanson has released a new collection focusing on paintings of sunflowers.

The internationally known artist said her Sunflower Collection is “an ode to the impressionists who came before” her. Monet, van Gogh and other artists have celebrated the beauty of sunflowers in iconic paintings.

Hanson’s collection will include paintings of cut flowers in vases, wildflower blooms, and cultivated fields of sunflowers.

Hanson, who moved to McMinnville in 2020, said she has been an avid fan of impressionism since she was a young. When she saw Van Gogh’s painting, “Irises,” in person, she said, she discovered that a painting could be more colorful than nature.

She said Van Gogh’s works, along with those of other early Impressionists and post-Impressionists, shaped her ambition “to flood the world with natural beauty as seen through the lens of Impressionism.”

The Sunflower Collection paintings are available for purchase online at www.erinhanson.com.

A reception for the debut of the Sunflower Collection will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 25. Wine and refreshments will be served.

The Erin Hanson Gallery is located at 1805 N.E. Colvin Court, McMinnville. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

For more information, call 503-334-3670, or go to the website, www.erinhanson.com.

Rainbow locations

Restaurants, wineries and other beverage locations along with a variety of other retailers are supporting Pride Month by offering specials during June.

A portion of all sales goes to Wine Country Pride scholarships and activities in support of LGBTQ people.

Rainbow Quest eateries and retailers, by city, are:

Carlton: Element Hair Artistry, K & M Wines, The Blind Pig

Dundee: Argyle Winery, Domaine Roy & fils, Fox Farm Vineyards/Main et Coeur, Furioso Vineyards, Wooden Heart

Dayton: Durant Vineyards, Remy Wines

Forest Grove: Apolloni Vineyards.

Gaston: Beacon Hill Winery & Vineyard

McMinnville: 3rd Street Pizza, Alchemist’s Jam, Bernards Farm, Bierly Brewing, Blue Moon Lounge, Community Plate, Conservatory Bar, Harvest Fresh, Hawaii Five-0-Three, Hopscotch Toys, Incahoots, Kuu Metaphysical Art Café, Local Flow Health Bar, Mac Market, Morning Thunder Cafe, Nate’s Auto Repair, NW Food & Gifts, Pizza Capo, The Bitter Monk, The Diner, Third Street Books, WildWood Cafe, Willow & Vine Floral.

Newberg: Arborbrook by Cooper Mountain Vineyards, Artisanal Wine Cellars, Barley & Vine Tavern, Chehalem Valley Dance Academy, Et Fille Wines, Good Company Cheese Bar & Bistro, Herbs in Jars, Honey Pie Pizza, J Christopher Wines, Little Lavender Farm/Shop, Old Town Bar & Grill, Pulp & Circumstance, Raptor Ridge Winery, Renegade Catering and Food Truck, The Great Oregon Wine Co. & Distillery, Compris Vineyard.

Sheridan: J. Wrigley Vineyards.

Send business news to Starla Pointer at spointer@newsregister.com.